[News] Tampa Bay Lightning amidst sale process, valuing team at close to $2B

[jg13]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1823448672241107387

[dammage79]

Winning Cups raises those owner shares quite a bit

[mogg]

That is a lot of dough. Forbes had them valued at $1.25B just last year.

[Erick Estrada]

That's crazy as Forbes just released the NFL evaluations and the Eagles and Commanders are tied for 10th most valuable organizations at $6.3 billion each.

[fundmark19]

Interesting as the MLB Rays sale just fell through when a big pocketed billionaire decided to opt out of the purchase group. I wonder if they shifted to buying the NHL team instead.

[Jacks]

Paying 2 billion for a team because of past glory would be ridiculous.
In 5 years they could be rebuilding and having trouble filling the building.

[Finger Cookin]

Or it could be worth exactly what it's worth today, or it could have tripled in value, or it could be bankrupt, or...

Someone cobbling together $2B to invest isn't booking that entire purchase price to goodwill.

[bluejays]

The amount of casual fans these southern teams have makes me uneasy (if it were my dollars). Certainly anyone can ask for anything but there's an approximate expectation they think it'll go for that amount. I wouldn't be paying that for a team with casual fans. Smart decision by current ownership to cash in, but I'd think it would be valued at something closer to half that given the previous values of other teams in the league.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

That's crazy as Forbes just released the NFL evaluations and the Eagles and Commanders are tied for 10th most valuable organizations at $6.3 billion each.

Sorry ya lost me how do the Eagles and Commander valuations impact the Lightning?

$2B is too high. Can’t you get an expansion for way less than that and then have super favourable rules to build a pretty damn good team out the gate anyway?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Sorry ya lost me how do the Eagles and Commander valuations impact the Lightning?

Really? I'm just surprised that an NHL team could be valued in the same stratosphere as NFL teams.

[Mr.Coffee]

They’re not, really?

That’s a pretty big gap.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

They’re not, really?

That’s a pretty big gap.

The Eagles and Commanders are NFL top 10 valued. Lions and Bengals are only valued at $3.6 and $3.5 billion.

[Finger Cookin]

$2 billion is as close to $3.5-$3.6 billion as the Flames were close winning the Stanley Cup last season.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

The Coyotes just sold for $1 billion and were valued at $500 million. NHL is going to see a huge jump here as a result of that and the Ottawa sale.

Franchise values are just skyrocketing right now. Even at $2 billion it's a good investment and in five years, they'll probably be worth $3 billion, maybe more. Just three years ago, Forbes valued the Lightning at $650 million so they've tripled in value in three years. That's a heck of a return.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

$2B is too high. Can’t you get an expansion for way less than that and then have super favourable rules to build a pretty damn good team out the gate anyway?

"get an expansion team"

go online, go to amazon, and order an expansion team!

The valuations are through the roof because this is a scarce asset. There are only so many teams available and new teams dont become available often and expansion is limited and very difficult to "win" the right to a new team.

You need land, a stadium, governor backing, local political backing, development permits and know how, etc, etc just to be considered. AND in a location the league decides to expand too.

Or you write a 2 billion dollar check and a team is yours (Relatively Speaking)

[Bourque's Twin]

Valuations of sports franchises are simply worth what the next rich guy is willing to pay. They are such a rare commodity and the wealthiest in society are only getting wealthier. If you have $2B lying around, you can probably afford to cover losses during the rough years, and it's worth it just for the lifestyle of owning a sports franchise. Plus, in years down the road, you'll probably sell for a lot more than you paid.

Except for they few years during substantial economic downturns, the values of these teams are going to continue to increase quickly long-term.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

The Coyotes just sold for $1 billion and were valued at $500 million. NHL is going to see a huge jump here as a result of that and the Ottawa sale.

Franchise values are just skyrocketing right now. Even at $2 billion it's a good investment and in five years, they'll probably be worth $3 billion, maybe more. Just three years ago, Forbes valued the Lightning at $650 million so they've tripled in value in three years. That's a heck of a return.

Sports franchises are cash machines that come with the added benefit of being able to get a free few hundred million dollars every so often when you want to build a new arena.

Meurelo bought the absolute worst franchise in the league in 2019 for $300 million. He just netted $1 billion from the sale. Not a bad return for an asset that was in much worse shape when he sold it.

[Jordan!]

Bill Foley timed the market right with the VGK.. these prices are absolutely ridiculous

[GreenLantern2814]

Explain how these franchises are not giant money laundering fronts.

[flamingred89]

Man. This is crazy. It's feels like it wasn't so long ago that the Dallas Cowboys were the first sports franchise to eclipse a billion. Now they're worth 10 and you can't even get a bankrupt NHL team for under a billion.